ROCHESTER — City Manager Blaine Cox, Mayor Caroline McCarley and Superintendent Kyle Repucci are pleased to share that Spaulding High School seniors will be recognized with a drive-through graduation ceremony, and with photos of the entire graduating class displayed on the City Hall message board through mid-month.
On Tuesday, June 9, Spaulding High School will host a modified commencement ceremony, with students arriving at the school’s senior parking lot at a pre-set time depending on the first letter of their last names.
The event will begin at 8 a.m., and students have been notified of their assigned time, with students set to arrive in cars in blocks of 30 students per hour. The ceremony is expected to conclude before 7 p.m.
Students will be able to ride in a single car with up to four family members and when it’s their turn, will exit their cars and walk across the stage, receive their diplomas and have their photos taken. Families will be able to exit their car to take photos when their graduate’s name is called.
Everyone is encouraged to wear masks or cloth face coverings to the event, though graduates will be able to remove theirs to be photographed. A video of the virtual ceremony will be released by 6:30 p.m. on June 12, and will be posted on the Spaulding High School Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as on the school website.
“This isn’t the commencement anyone could have imagined at the outset of the school year, but I fully expect this event will be a fitting tribute to the Class of 2020 and their accomplishments,” Superintendent Repucci said. “They have persevered throughout their careers in the Rochester Schools, and especially over the last few months, and so we’re all eager to celebrate them.”
The video will also broadcast on the Rochester TV School Channel, Metrocast channel 25, and Rochester Government Channel, Metrocast 26.
In addition to the ceremony, graduates are being recognized on the City Hall digital display board. Now through June 15, the board displaying photos of the more than 300 members of the Class of 2020, along with messages of congratulations.
“The Spaulding High School graduation ceremony is always a special event for our community,” Mayor McCarley said. “This year’s will certainly be unique, but I’m proud of the way the Class of 2020 finished their school careers and I wish them all the very best as they start the next phase of their lives.”
City Manager Blaine Cox added, “The display board at City Hall is a unique way to share the success of the Class of 2020 with the whole city, and I have no doubt that this year’s commencement will be as memorable as any we’ve ever had.”
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